Words to hymns like these filled the air every Sunday morning, and every Sunday and Wednesday evening. In those days, we didn’t have to wait for our Lord to come again hear singing, shouting, weeping, and praying. In those days you never knew what was going to happen, what songs were going to be sung, or who had “the key to the service.”

We would be in a worship service and the pastor of the church (usually) would stand up in the middle of the service and say, “Someone has the key to this service! All you have to do is obey God!” And then sure enough, someone would spontaneously shout, dance, pray for someone who was sick, share a testimony of their salvation, or sing a song, and the whole atmosphere be filled with the peace of heaven.

As much as my hardshell Calvinistic theology would like to inform me that this goes against the “regulative principle of worship” or that “things simply don’t happen like that,” I’ve seen an entire congregation come to life with godly joy over someone simply coming down to the altar for prayer.

There wasn’t a “repeat this prayer and you’ll be saved” kind of rhetoric (most of the time). There were genuine, Jesus-loving people who want to help you communicate with God in prayer.

Tim Challies wrote an article about a well-known leader the early Pentecostal movement, and someone who commented on the article was disparaging their own Pentecostal upbringing (they are Reformed now). I am also Reformed now. I’m a Calvinist, and I hold to the Westminster Confession of Faith (with some minor caveats), I can’t disparage my roots. Maybe their experience was bad, but mine wasn’t. Granted, I’m not going to say that everything I witnessed go on in a Pentecostal church during a worship service was right and biblical because it wasn’t, but overall, I feel as though my upbringing helped me more than hurt me.

My grandparents taught me the Bible. By the time I was in my teens I could quote more Scripture from King James Version of the Bible than anybody my age, and it wasn’t because I participated in Bible Quiz Bowls or sword drills. My grandparents didn’t pressure me to memorize verses or play with Bible flash cards. They didn’t do in-home discipleship, family worship, devotions, or anything like that. They simply lived godly lives at home in front me, and as a result, I learned the Bible by watching how much they valued the Bible. I learned hymns by listening to my grandma sing while she was doing chores around the house. When she taught me to play piano, she taught me to play hymns and southern gospel because that’s all she knew.

When other people talk about their bad experiences in Pentecostalism, I have to sigh and unfortunately say, “I know.” I’m all too familiar with the legalistic horror stories of young women being called whores because they had a little blush on or because they wore a pair of knee-length shorts that might cause someone “to stumble” *eye rolls* …whatever.

In those moments, I can only wish they had had my experiences. My experiences weren’t completely free of legalism and unwarranted insecurities, but those things didn’t matter when the worship service would start (or at least, those things didn’t matter to me).

Almighty God, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that your people, illumined by your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, that he may be known, worshiped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with You and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, now and forever. Amen. [1]

INTRODUCTION:

Smyrna was founded in 1200 B.C. That is two hundred years before King David, and back in the days of the judges of Israel. In the sixth century B.C., Alyattes, king of Lydia, conquered Smyrna and dispersed the inhabitants into tiny villages throughout the area, where they could be no threat to his rule. For almost four hundred years, Smyrna was in eclipse. Alexander the Great wanted to rebuild it, but the task fell to his successor, who rebuilt the city around 300 B.C. on the slopes of Mount Pagus, about two miles south of its former site. It had wide and spacious streets. Its major street (called “the street of gold”) began at the harbor, curved around Mount Pagus, and ran on to the foothills awayfrom the sea.

Smyrna had been destroyed, yet she had come back to life. It was remarkable, and Smyrna ended up with the nickname “the city that was dead, yet lived.”

Jesus reminds them, “You may be a resurrected city, but I am a resurrected savior.”

Smyrna was not only beautiful and prosperous, she was extremely nationalistic. Three hundred years earlier (265-146 B.C.), when Rome was fighting for its life against the Carthaginian empire, Smyrna had sided with Rome. She was the first city in Asia to declare allegiance to Rome, and she built a temple to Roma, the goddess of Rome. That was in 195 B.C., almost one hundred years before Julius Caesar.

In 26 A.D., when the whole world wanted to be friends with Rome, eleven cities competed for the privilege of erecting a temple in honor of Tiberius Caesar. Smyrna won the honors. Rome considered Smyrna the most noble and worthy of the cities of Asia. Cicero called Smyrna “the most faithful of our allies.” Roman nobility came to visit and vacation there. After 70 A.D., when Jerusalem was destroyed, Smyrna was a favorite place for Jewish settlement, and the Jewish community there was large and influential.

So the scene is set. Smyrna is beautiful, prosperous, highly patriotic, and of esteemed reputation. Its citizens are proud of their city, and they feel fortunate to live there. [2] Sound familiar?

No one really knows the origin of the church at Smyrna, but the facts are clear. They are guaranteed suffering, and this is completely antithetical to North American Evangelicalism.

Jared C. Wilson, who is a Christian, wrote an article this week about how Christian movies are sending the wrong message, and he said:

“There is a kind of prosperity gospel that pervades contemporary Christian art. It’s there in Christian Music radio, of course, and it’s all over Christian movies, including the ones based on true stories. The team has to win. The sick person has to defy the odds. (If you can get a sick person and a sports team in the same story, you’ve hit Christian movie gold.) The atheist professor must get owned. The unbelieving spouse must be converted. On and on it goes. Why? Because “if you just believe,” you can win.Christian movies have embraced a theology of glory rather than a theology of the cross. This is why, apart from inauthentic dialogue and stilted acting, Christian movies ring so untrue to ears tuned to reality. We know real life doesn’t work this way — even for believers. The world of Christian movies is uncomfortable sitting in the ambiguity of suffering, confusion, or chaos for too long. But if we must have Christian movies, they above all others, should be brave enough to tell us the truth, which is messier than what the market usually wants to hear.[3]”

There is an implicit lie within Christian media that if you believe hard enough you’ll always win in life. Try selling that to starving Christians in Venezuela.

In John 16:33, Jesus said in no uncertain terms, “In this world you will have many trials and sorrows.” That’s the bad news and it’s important that we remember because it makes the good news so much sweeter.

The good news is the rest of John 16:33, “Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.”

So, as we look at the text this morning, I want us to see three things: A Picture of the Savior, A Promise of Suffering, and A Promise for Faithful Conquerors.

A PICTURE OF THE SAVIOR

“And to the angel of the church in Smyrna write: These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life: 9 “I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – Revelation 2:8-9, NRSV

What we’re mostly dealing with in these two verses is who Jesus is and what Jesus knows. And, if you’re suffering, both of those things should be comforting.

Jesus told us I would have trouble. He knows we’re in trouble, and He is the Son of God who conquers the world that is giving us trouble.

The first thing Jesus says is that these words are the words of the first and the last.

In the Revelation 1:17, the first thing that Jesus says to the Apostle John is, “I am the first and the last.”

This is Jesus affirming Himself to John. This title of the first and the last is something that God says about Himself three times in the book of Isaiah, and by telling John, “I am the first and the last” his mind immediately goes back to Isaiah 44:6 where God says, “I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god.”

The second thing is, “These are the words of the first and the last, who was dead and came to life”

Resurrection is authentication. This proves that Jesus is who He says He is. So, Christ’s resurrection is central to the life of the Church.

His resurrection means our resurrection.

How much do we really believe this though? Here’s the test: Imagine if Jesus’ had never risen from the dead. If Jesus had never risen from the dead, and you [as a church, not an individual] can go on living how you’re living now, and function as you are now if Jesus had never risen from the dead, then you are not living in the power of His resurrection.

“and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” – Galatians 2:20, NRSV

“I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, 11 if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead.” – Philippians 3:10-11, NRSV

Let me say this again: Christ’s resurrection is central to the life of the Church. If the life of the church wouldn’t be any different if Jesus hadn’t risen from the dead, then we are not living by the power of His resurrection.

The next thing that we learn about Jesus is in verse 9, “I know your affliction and your poverty…”

Jesus knows our affliction and our suffering. He identifies Himself with the poor, the afflicted, the suffering. He identifies Himself with the marginalized.

“He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” – Isaiah 53:3, KJV

A man like this isn’t coming for the righteous, but the unrighteous. He’s not coming for people who don’t suffer. He’s coming for the oppressed. He’s coming for the victims.

He’s coming for people who mourn, people who are hungry and thirsty, people who are meek. Because, according to Matthew 5, they’re the ones who receive the blessing.

The fourth idea here is that He knows our hearts.

“I know your affliction and your poverty, even though you are rich. I know the slander on the part of those who say that they are Jews and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.” – Revelation 2:9, NRSV

So, who are the Jews in question? Are they actual Jews by lineage and race or is Jesus using the word “Jew” to mean something else?

“For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is true circumcision something external and physical. 29 Rather, a person is a Jew who is one inwardly, and real circumcision is a matter of the heart—it is spiritual and not literal. Such a person receives praise not from others but from God.”– Romans 2:28-29, NRSV

Just as a side note: Romans 2 is the key to understanding Romans 11, when Paul says, “All Israel will be saved.” He’s not talking about the nation of Israel or all ethnic Jews. He’s talking about all those who trust Jesus as their Savior and Messiah.

In Revelation 2, Jesus is saying “I know those who say they are Jews and are not, they are not they are of the synagogue of Satan.”

In Smyrna there was a Jewish synagogue not too far from where the church would meet, and the Jews would do all kinds of awful things to get this church in trouble with political authorities.

They would even come into the church and pose as converts and try to tear the church apart.

Jesus knows who they are. Jesus knows who is a genuine believer and who isn’t. Jesus knows who really loves Him and serves Him and who doesn’t.

In this passage, not only do we see A Picture of the Savior, but we also see A Picture of the Suffering.

A PICTURE OF THE SUFFERING

“Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Beware, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.” – Revelation 2:10, NRSV

When we talk about suffering in terms of persecution, I always want to make sure that if we’re suffering, then we should be suffering for the right reasons.

“Now who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good? 14 But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed… Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if suffering should be God’s will, than to suffer for doing evil.” – 1 Peter 3:13-14a, 16b-17, NRSV

Now, listen to what Peter says in the next chapter.

“If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the spirit of glory, which is the Spirit of God, is resting on you. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, a criminal, or even as a mischief maker. 16 Yet if any of you suffers as a Christian, do not consider it a disgrace, but glorify God because you bear this name.” – 1 Peter 4:14-16, NRSV

Let’s put this in perspective: Revelation, 1st and 2nd Peter, and Jude, and John’s Letters are all written to Christians who are suffering under persecution, and Peter is saying: If you’re going to suffer (and you will because Jesus said you would) then do so for the right reasons.

This important information for us because here in America we think we’re being persecuted when someone says, “Happy Holidays!”

Meanwhile there are Christians in China who are actually suffering for their faith.

If we’re suffering we need to evaluate why we’re suffering. Are we really suffering for our faith or are we suffering because we are “mischief makers” as Peter says.

Jesus knows the suffering of the Church of Smyrna, and it appears that they’re suffering for the right reasons, and so He tells them, “the devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have affliction.”

This is not the message of the prosperity Gospel. You’ve got people in the charismatic movement who will walk saying, “God told me to tell you x.”

There are really people with prophetic gifts and I don’t want to disparage that, but when you claim to have that gift and all of your “prophetic words” are encouraging and positive, then I’ve got to wonder what’s real and what isn’t because in the Bible, not even all the messages from the men and women who spoke for God were positive and encouraging.

The prosperity Gospel will not tell you that you are going to suffer, but Jesus does. Jesus doesn’t beat around the bush, but there’s good news here.

He says, “for ten days you will have affliction.” Here’s the thing: you can interpret this a million different ways, but ultimately it all means the same thing. Jesus named a specific amount of time that their affliction would last and that tells me that it’s temporary.

Your suffering, your affliction, your trouble is temporary. If you’re a believer, if you’re a Christian, then Jesus personally sees to it that your suffering is only temporary.

Satan is at work to make sure you have pain and trouble, but Jesus is has come to make sure your suffering isn’t forever.

“The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” – John 10:10, NRSV

Not only do we see A Picture of Jesus, A Picture of Suffering, but we also see A Promise to Faithful Conquerors.

A PROMISE TO FAITHFUL CONQUERORS

“Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches. Whoever conquers will not be harmed by the second death.” – Revelation 2:10b-11, NRSV

Listen to what’s being promised:

Be faithful until death and you’ll receive a crown of life.

Conquer and you will not be harmed by the Second Death.

Here’s the thing: because we haven’t faced the real threat of death for our faith yet, I don’t think we appreciate this as much as Smyrna did.

According to John MacArthur, this place was the hotbed of emperor worship. You must treat the caesar as a god.

In America, what little emperor worship we see is voluntary; in Rome it was mandatory, and it was all over the place.

The promise of a crown of life is more valuable to you when you live in a state that tries to suppress any kind of hope that you have simply because you’re giving your worship to Whom the worship is due, namely Jesus.

Jesus is always a threat to secular authorities because He has what they want and they’ll never have – absolute power and authority.

Jesus’ promise of a crown of life means that we can look at those earthly kings and rulers in face and say with boldness, “Do your worst.”

Do you know Jesus this morning? Do you understand that this promise to the Church of Smyrna is for you?

“Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches.” Let’s pray.

CLOSING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, this is Your Word and we are Your people. When suffering comes, give us the strength to endure. Send Your Holy Spirit to give us power and strength when we need it most in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

_______________________________________________

Book of Common Prayer, pg. 215, Second Sunday After Epiphany

Revelation Sermon Series – Bruce Van Blair

“Why Christian Movies Are So Terrible.” For The Church, 7 Jan. 2019, ftc.co/blog/posts/why-christian-movies-are-so-terrible.

PRAYER FOR ILLUMINATION:

Almighty, Gracious Father, since our whole understanding of salvation depends upon our true understanding of your holy Word, grant to all of us that our hearts, being free from worldly things, may hear and understand your holy Word with all due diligence and faith, that we may rightly understand your gracious will, cherish it, and live by it with all our hearts, to your praise and honor; through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. [1]

INTRODUCTION:

This morning, we are going to start on a journey through the seven letters to the seven churches in Revelation.

As some of you may know, this is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. The term epiphany means “to show” or “to make known” or even “to reveal.” In Western churches, it remembers the coming of the wise men bringing gifts to visit the Christ child, who by so doing “reveal” Jesus to the world as Lord and King. In some eastern churches, Epiphany or the Theophany commemorates Jesus’ baptism, with the visit of the Magi linked to Christmas. [2]

So, most of the time, pastors might preach on the baptism of Jesus, the three wise men bringing gifts to Jesus when he was a child, or some might even preach on Jesus’ first miracle, turning water into wine.

One of the reasons why I feel like this is appropriate for Epiphany is because one of the major practical applications that we take from the book of Revelation as a whole is that Jesus sees His church, and His church sees Him seeing them (as funny as that sounds) because He’s revealed to them. That’s what the word, “Revelation” means, it means ‘revealing.’

Jesus sees His church in their sufferings, their trials, their temptations, but He also sees the sin. We like the idea of Jesus seeing us in sufferings, trials, and temptations because we know that He can relate to those things, and He can sympathize with us in those things, but we don’t like the idea of Jesus being able to see our sin because if He sees our sin, then we can’t get away with it anymore.

So, during this Epiphany season, I want us to see Jesus and hear Jesus. I want us hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.

All of these letters in Revelation follow the same pattern: there’s a picture of Jesus, a message from Jesus, and an explicit command to hear what the Spirit is saying.

You’ve probably heard people teach on these letters and say that these churches are a timeline of Christian history, and then they’ll pull out their charts and graphs and try explain how each of these seven churches fit the timeline, but the problem with believing that is that when you say that this letter applies to “this part of church history” and “that letter applies to that part of church history” what you’re actually saying is that only one part of it applies to us today, and that’s not the case.

The letters that John wrote to the seven churches are for every church in every age. For we are told in verse 7, ”he who has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches.”

When CB radios became popular in this country you might tune in to find someone to talk to and you would ask each other ”do you have your ears on?”

That’s similar to what Jesus is saying here. He’s saying, “If you’ve got your ears on, then hear what the Spirit is saying to the churches.”

The picture of Jesus here, according to verse 1, is that he’s holding seven stars in his hand, and he’s walking among the seven golden candlesticks. These are representations of the church. Jesus doesn’t just see what’s going on from afar, but He’s personally active among His people.

This morning, as we look at the letter that Jesus tells John to give to Ephesus, we will see that there three things we need to deal with: There’s An Assessment of the Church, An Accusation Against the Church, and An Answer for the Church.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE CHURCH (v. 2-3)

“I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance. I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false. 3 I also know that you are enduring patiently and bearing up for the sake of my name, and that you have not grown weary.” – Revelation 2:2-3, NRSV

As we look at these two verses we find that there are three things that characterize the assessment of the church.

They Were Energetic (v. 2a)

Jesus says, “I know your works, your toil…”

They were an active congregation. They are at all the community events. They’re the first ones to welcome new people who move to their area. Their Sunday School programs and Bible Studies were filled with rich discussion, and they gave heartily to all the right causes.

They Were Established (v. 2b)

Not only were they energetic, but they were established.

Look at the second half of verse 2 – “I know that you cannot tolerate evildoers; you have tested those who claim to be apostles but are not, and have found them to be false.”

They hated moral evil. – They didn’t want to see anyone mistreated. They stood up for their fellow man.

They also hated ministerial evil. – They didn’t tolerate people who taught false doctrine. Jesus even tells them in verse 6, “this is to your credit: you hate the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.”

No one knows much about the Nicolaitans, but what scholars can come up with is that they were a sect of apostate Christians who tolerated idolatry and fornication, and the church here at Ephesus wasn’t having any of it, and Jesus commends them for it.

Not only were they energetic and established, but they were also enduring.

They Were Enduring (v. 3)

In verse 2, Jesus says, “I know your works, your toil and your patient endurance…” and then in verse 3, Jesus says, “I also know that you are enduring patiently…”

They’re in this thing for the long haul. They seem to be ready for whatever comes their way. On the outside, this looks like a healthy church.

Who wouldn’t want to be apart of a church where they’re energetic, established, and enduring?

So, what’s the problem? The problem is on the inside and it goes deep. On the surface, everything looks healthy, but there’s something going on on the inside that only Jesus can see, and that’s what warrants the accusation. Maybe it’s the same way with some of us. Maybe we look fine on the outside, but on the inside we’re lacking. On the inside we are weighed in the balances and found wanting, and Jesus sees it even no one else does.

THE ACCUSATION AGAINST THE CHURCH (v. 4)

“But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” – Revelation 2:4, NRSV

The accusation is that they lost their first love. What does that mean? Obviously they love something. Their church doesn’t look healthy on the outside because they’re just going through the motions. Jesus doesn’t accuse them of “going through the motions.” They actually love what they’re doing, and it shows in the quality of their service.

The problem isn’t with what they love, but who they’re not loving.

They loved service more than the Savior. They loved form, but not godliness.

“We can get so focused on the work of the Lord that we forget the Lord of the work.” – Denny Duron

We can strive to make a better image for ourselves, and make our brand bigger and better, but if we are not focused on Jesus, then it’s all in vain.

Our motivations are ultimately the litmus test. Do we want to help others find and follow Jesus? Or do we just want others join our social club so they follow our vision of what we think the church ought to be?

One theologian describes Ephesus leaving their first love like this:

“They had lost the first flush of excitement in their Christian life and settled into a cold orthodoxy with more surface strength than depth.” [3]

(Illustration: This kinda reminds me of a story I heard where there was a woman who felt like her husband was neglecting her. They had been married for several years, but she felt like the fire was going out.

One day a newly wed couple moved in next door, and everyday when he left for work he would grab her and hug her and plant a long kiss on her lips. The neglected neighbor watch this until she could take it no more. She dragged her husband to the door, made him watch what was going on and asked, “Can you do that?” He thought about it a minute and said, “Sure, I guess I could, but I don’t think her husband would like that too much.”)

As continue to look at the passage, we’ll see that not only is there an assessment of the church, not only is there an accusation against the church, but Jesus also provides An Answer for the Church.

AN ANSWER FOR THE CHURCH (v. 5)

“Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” – Revelation 2:5, NRSV

Remember

First, he calls them to remember. The present imperative form of this verb beckons them to “keep on remembering.” Never forget what you have lost. Go back and note when and where the flame of love grew faint. Take an inventory and evaluate where you are now compared to where you were then. Go back to the time when your love for Jesus was a burning passion and all that mattered. [4]

Memory is a powerful tool. Almost everything sacramental that we do in the life of the church calls us to remember.

In baptism we remember that just as God brought Moses and the people Israel across the Red Sea so He brings into out of the captivity of our sin and into the promised land of the Church.

In the Lord’s Supper, we remember what makes our salvation and our baptism possible – the shed blood of Jesus. His body is broken for us, and His blood is poured out for us. Those are things we are called to remember.

And the church at Ephesus is called to remember a time when they loved God, and they remembered what He did for them.

Not only does He call them to Remember, but He calls them to repent.

Repent

Think about the word, “repent.” In the Greek this is metanoeō “to think differently” or “reconsider.”

What do they have to reconsider? What do they have to think about differently? When we ask that we also have to understand that this is for us so what is that we have to think about differently?

We have to think differently about our sin—sins of indifference, religious formalism, legalistic routine. Repentance requires that we change our minds from thinking that our good deeds are meritorious and earn God’s favor.

In calling for the Ephesians to repent (and ultimately, calling us to repent), Jesus reminds us that labor is no substitute for love, purity is no substitute for passion, and deeds are no substitute for devotion. We can’t pat ourselves on the back for doing good things for the wrong reason. [5]

Repeat

The NRSV that I use says, “do the works you did at first,” but the New King James is probably more correct when it says, “do the first works.” The reason that’s important is because that word “first” is the same as the word “first” in verse 4.

It speaks of that which is “first in rank and importance”. In other words, Jesus isn’t calling them to go back and do what they did before, instead He calls them to return to the things that are most important.

What is most important when it comes to our relationship with Him? The Lord’s call here is for the Ephesian believers to return to the simple fundamentals of the faith.

It is a call to return to the altar of prayer.
It is a call to come back to the Word of God.
It is a call to return to a place of worship.
It is a call to return to the sacraments.
It is a call to obedience to His will.
It is a call to walk in holiness before the Lord.

Now, when we think about holiness we tend to think of moral purity. Although some aspects of our holiness might involve that, there are lost people who don’t know Jesus who are more moral than some of us are.

So, what is holiness? What does it mean to be holy as God is holy? (1 Peter 1:16) Holiness is ‘other’ness. When the Bible speaks about God being mean it means that He is complete set apart from everything. There’s literally nothing else in this universe like Him.

So, when the church is called to be holy as He is holy, when the church is called to walk in holiness. It means that we are to walk in otherness. We are a called out people. It doesn’t mean we’re better than anyone else, but it does mean that something has been done for us that we couldn’t do for ourselves.

We are ‘set apart’ precisely because Jesus attained a victory for us that we couldn’t get on our own. So, in giving an overview of the seven letters in Revelation, M. Eugene Boring says, “The Christian life called for in chapters 2–3 is not adherence to moralistic norms but a life lived in view of the reality of the Christ event in the past and the victory of God in the eschatological future.” [6]

Being holy means understanding that we look forward to a time when our faith will be sight. In the end, Jesus wins, and because He wins, we win.

Jesus is still calling the church to return to these basic, foundational truths.

CONCLUSION (v. 5, 7)

“Remember then from what you have fallen; repent, and do the works you did at first. If not, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place, unless you repent.” – Revelation 2:5, NRSV

There’s a lot of debate over the symbolism involved here about what this lampstand could mean, but I think there’s a practical truth to taken from this statement that Jesus makes – a church cannot expect to keep its light, if it doesn’t keep its love.

(Illustration: Henry Grady was the editor of the Atlanta Constitution. After a great speech entitled, “The New South” he was hailed as a national hero, but Grady knew something was desperately wrong in his life.

One day he left his downtown office and started back to his boyhood home in the mountains. When he arrived he found his mother sitting on the porch reading her Bible. He quickly confessed to her that he had lost something and desperately needed to find it. That night after supper they sat on the porch together. As he placed his head in her lap as he had done as a young boy, she started talking about her Lord Jesus Christ. She talked about how good He’d been to her throughout the years, and how wonderful it was to serve Him.

Henry Grady began to feel something in his heart grow warm once again. When it was time to go to bed he and his mother walked up to his room where they knelt together. That night he didn’t sleep much. He spent the night remembering and repenting.

The next morning, his mother said, “Henry, you look so different.” He said, “Mom, I am different. I have found what I lost.”)

Do you need to find what you lost this morning? You can. Let’s pray.

CLOSING PRAYER

Heavenly Father, You love us. You loved us so much that You sent us Your Son to deal with the problems of our sin, our guilt, and our shame. You also not only call us to repent, but You grant repentance as gift. Grant us repentance this morning. Send the Holy Spirit to convict us of our sins, and bring us closer to You. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

In order to make sense of what I’m about to say, you’ll want to read my first article here.

I don’t want to come off as some kind of theological Superman. I don’t want to sound like I’m telling you that if you just listen to me then everything about worship in your church will be better and all your worship woes will be solved and your worship wars will be over.

However, I would like to say that maybe I was too angry in response. Maybe my tone wasn’t that great. I’m not going to apologize for what I said because I feel like this issue is something that needs to be addressed, but maybe I could’ve used more tact.

Now that the apology is out of the way, let me say that I’m not sure what needs to be done, but I know that as long as the Christian music industry is just trying to turn a profit instead of trying to make sure that they are devoted to theological clarity in song then we’ll see our mainstream churches turn to such music.

Ultimately, this is an issue of the heart. Worship leaders are often drawn to songs and gimmicks that have about as high a view of God as they do. As long as we have people in positions of leadership who will not place a priority on teaching the whole council of God through the medium to which they are called (in this case, music), then you’ll always see anemic Christians trying to feed other anemic Christians. This is why I believe that we should use the same qualifications that we would use to seek out a pastor (Titus 1 and 1 Timothy 2) and use those to seek out worship leaders.

Pastors who are passionate about the Gospel and passionate about feeding the flock of God will not allow their congregation to settle for anything less than music that teaches us about God, about His Word, and about His Church.

Ultimately, if we want to measure the worship in our church against the worship of the New Testament, then we just to read the Scriptures and be honest. Does our worship look anything like how the early church would worship if they any of them were still on earth today?

“Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts.”

Colossians 3:16, NIV

We may not think about this way, but according to this verse in Colossians, singing together in worship is one of the ways that we teach and build up one another. So, the two primary things going on when the church is singing together is education and edification. We are learning about God, and building up one another in the faith. This is important to remember that reading is a very recent concept within human history. According to one source[1], 1960 was the first year that the literate population outnumbered the illiterate population in the world. So, if someone can’t read, how do you get them to retain information? Through song.[2]

Most of the hymns that were written over 150 years ago weren’t simply written because someone felt inspiration hit them one day, and they just had to get it down on paper. They were written out of the necessity to educate local churches which is why some of our most prolific hymn writers have also been pastors.

For Example, William R. Newell, is someone that we might not know by name, but he’s more famously known for a hymn that some of us have probably sang in our lives:

Mercy there was great, and grace was free;Pardon there was multiplied to me;There my burdened soul found libertyAt Calvary.

At Calvary, William R. Newell

Newell was not only a hymn writer, he was a pastor and Bible teacher at the Moody Bible Institute. You can read more about him here.

In our current time most of us can read now. This is good news, but modern hymns and worship songs aren’t written anymore to teach us about God, about the doctrine of the Church, or rich theological truth. Which is why K-Love’s Greatest Hits consist mostly of songs that describe Jesus more like a prom date rather than the Son of God lay waste to His waste to His enemies, and rule and reign for eternity with His bride on the earth.

I would describe most of the music that comes out of the modern Christian music industry [3] as junk food for the soul. It’s okay in very strict moderation, but overindulgence can lead to a poor theological health. There are better choices out there.

Instead of Hillsong try Indelible Grace

Instead of Chris Tomlin try Bob Kauflin and Sovereign Grace Music

Instead of Bethel and Jesus Culture try Keith and Kristyn Getty

Let’s be honest, when you went to church and sang this morning, did you sing mostly about how God makes you feel, or about what God has actually done for you in Christ? Did you sing about God’s justice and holiness as well as His love and mercy? Was Psalm 2 anywhere near your worship set? That’s the one where God’s wrath flares up against those who do not submit to Christ’s lordship.

Was the worship set at your church this morning a biblical reflection of the character of God that feeds the sheep or was it simply a show to entertain the goats among us? You’re either feeding the sheep or entertaining the goats, you will not and cannot do both.

My wife was a Pre-K teacher for five years and she will tell you that one of the best ways to educate children is through song, and adults are no different. She taught 3 and 4 year-olds who couldn’t spell their own name, but they could spell colors because they sang songs about them.

As a result of the Christian music industry pushing these wares into the market, most skinny jean and v-neck t-shirt clad ‘worship leaders’ are usually looking at the Christian Top 40 for this Sunday’s worship set instead of seeking out that which would be most educational and edifying for the congregation.

Introduction:

Gary Carr tells the story of Chippie the parakeet. “Chippie never saw it coming. One second he was peacefully perched in his cage, sending a song into the air; the next second he was sucked in, washed up, and blown over.“His problem began when his owner decided to clean his cage with a vacuum. She had stuck the nozzle in to suck up the seeds and feathers at the bottom of the cage when the nearby telephone rang. Instinctively she turned to pick it up. She had barely said hello when–ssswwwwwpppppp! Chippie got sucked in. She gasped, let the phone drop, and switched off the vacuum. With her heart in her mouth, she unzipped the bag.“There was Chippie–alive but stunned–covered with heavy gray dust. She grabbed him and rushed to the bathtub, turned on the faucet full blast, and held Chippie under a torrent of ice-cold water, power washing him clean. Then it dawned on her that Chippie was soaking wet and shivering. So she did what any compassionate pet owner would do: she snatched up the hair dryer and blasted him with hot air.“Did Chippie survive? Yes, but he doesn’t sing much anymore. He just sits and stares a lot.” Life is like that sometimes. You never see it coming, but sometimes you get sucked up, washed up, and blown over.1

This morning we’re starting a new series called “Suffering in the Sight of God.” In this series over the next four weeks we’re going to cover the Lectionary readings over the book of Job, and we’re going to hopefully be reminded of the fact that when our world turns upside down God is still in charge and He can still be trusted.

Just as a fair warning, I think this morning’s sermon is going to be more information than application. And I think sometimes that’s good because sometimes I think as a preacher you just need to talk about the text and let the application come naturally instead looking “5 Ways to be More Spiritual” or whatever. I think this morning we just need to talk about what’s there and let the application naturally unfold.

Why “Suffering in the Sight of God?”

The reason I’m using the title, “Suffering in the Sight of God” is because I want us to see that when Job suffers, and more practically, when we suffer God sees it all. He’s not ignorant of what we’re going through. When we suffer, we suffer in His sight. When we suffer, He sees it all, and He doesn’t leave us. He’s there with us. The problem is not that He’s distant, the problem is that in our suffering we have a tendency to feel disconnected.

We think, “If I’ve been good, and if God is good, then I wouldn’t experience anything this bad,” and the book of Job teaches us that that’s faulty thinking.

“The book of Job is a great book, and like many great things our natural tendency is to get it down to a more understandable level so that we can piously misunderstand it.” – Douglas Wilson

If you read later in the book, then you know that this is exactly what Job’s friends did with his suffering. They piously misunderstand his suffering, and assume that because Job’s life is chaotic and he’s lost everything, then he must have done something to deserve it when in fact God is at work in the suffering, and you don’t see the result of his suffering until the end of the book.

And I think that’s a practical word in and of itself. You’re not going to understand what your suffering produces in you until you get on the other side of it. So, hang on. It’s been a bumpy ride and it may get bumpier, but if you don’t hang on, you won’t see the good on the other side of your suffering.

Another thing that I think is worth pointing out is that the book of Job is a very direct book that provides little to no explanation to what we’re reading.

There’s no historical connection to hardly any other place or event in Scripture. It’s been the archaeologists and historians who have figured out for us that Uz was apart of Edom so we can assume that Job was an Edomite, and then in the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Old Testament) there’s an added paragraph at the end of Job that tells us that Job was the second king of Edom mentioned in Genesis 36:33, known as Jobab… which would explain his immense wealth and prosperity. It is also supposed that his three friends (four if you count Elihu at the end) were members his cabinet.

One final thing, by way of introduction, when someone brings up the question of evil, we’re quick to respond because we all know the Genesis 3 narrative, but we quickly learn that there is a vast difference between, “Why is there suffering?” and “Why am I suffering?”

The first question is philosophical and theological.

The second question is practical and personal.

The Story So Far…

The story so far up to our passage is that we are introduced to Job, his family, and his possessions, and then in 1:6-12 we see a picture of a time when some heavenly beings came before God. They are identified as the sons of God (1:6), and then we read where Satan does what he does best. He accuses Job before God, he basically says, “You know, God, Job doesn’t really love you. He loves all the things that you give him, but He doesn’t love you, but if you were stretch out your hand against all that he owns, he will curse you.” And then this is God’s reply in Job 1:12.

“Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, do not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the Lord’s presence.” – Job 1:12, CSB

And then that’s when all hell broke loose in the most literal sense of the phrase.

Have you ever had hell break loose in your life? If it’s not one thing, it’s another.

You’ve got bills back to back and you can’t get caught up, you’ve got projects at work that just pile up on your desk, in your family you’ve got loved ones dropping left and right, it just seems like out of nowhere everything hit you all at once and you can’t seem to find a normal.

I think one of the most freeing things is that you are not the first person to experience this. You are also not the most important person to experience this either.

The undeserved suffering of Job points to a greater undeserved suffering. Jesus undergoes unimaginable suffering and violence at the hand of violent men all for us. He stands in our place, and takes beating, our scourging, even our death, and then He resurrects so that we could resurrect with Him in the newness of life. It’s for those reasons that we might consider Job to be a theologian of the cross.

The rest of chapter 1 includes the death of robbery and destruction of all of Job’s property, and the death of his children, but the chapter doesn’t end there. Job gives God praise with these words, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will leave this life. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21)

And then verse 22 says, “Throughout all this Job did not sin or blame God for anything.”

Where We Are Now

In chapter 2 we come back to this scene in heaven where the sons of God present themselves before God, and Satan was there again and as the conversation goes on Satan accuses Job again, and says, “He still doesn’t love you, you know. A man will give up everything he owns in exchange for his life. But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:4b-5)

“Very well,” the Lord told Satan, “he is in your power; only spare his life.” 7So Satan left the Lord’s presence and infected Job with terrible boils from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.” – Job 2:6-7, CSB

And again, if it’s not one thing it’s another. First his property gets destroyed, his children are dead, and now he’s covered in boils.

And then in these last few verses in chapter 2 is where we’re going to get the majority of our application from.

“His wife said to him, “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Curse God and die!” 10“You speak as a foolish woman speaks,” he told her. “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.” – Job 2:9-10, CSB

Job’s integrity is recognized by his wife. I think that’s significant because integrity is a lot like humility. Once you recognize those things in yourself you no longer have them or at the very least you make people skeptical of you.

I don’t trust people by nature, but if you tell me that you’re humble or that you have integrity, I’m going to doubt you even because you don’t trust your own humility or integrity enough to let someone else see those things on their own.

I think the fact that Job’s wife saw his integrity and asked him if he was still going to retain it creates an important question: Does our integrity in God show to people around us?

When we suffer, can people tell by looking at our lives that we retain our integrity?

Job’s Integrity

If we look at what we know about Job’s situation up to this I think there’s a two things that make up Job’s integrity and that I will make up ours.

Trust in God’s Sovereignty

First of all, Job trusts God’s sovereignty. What does it that God is sovereign. It means that He’s in control. He’s large and in charge. Nothing happens that is outside His control.

“That which should distinguish the suffering of believers from unbelievers is the confidence that our suffering is under the control of an all-powerful and all-loving God. Our suffering has meaning and purpose in God’s eternal plan, and He brings or allows to come into our lives only that which is for His glory and our good.”– Jerry Bridges, Trusting God: Even When Life Hurts

Remember what Paul says in Romans 8:28.

“We know that all things work together for the good of those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28, CSB

How many things? All things. What about the death of a loved one? Or worse yet, what about the death of a child? It’s not up to us to figure out how those work for our good and God’s glory, but it is our responsibility to trust God in the process.

When Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery, he went and spent time in prison, and then Potiphar’s wife accused him of sexual misconduct against her, he still was able to tell them, “you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good.” (Genesis 50:20)

God is always working good for His people. Always. And it’s because He is good.

Which brings us to the second part of Job’s integrity. He not only trusted God’s sovereignty, he also trusted in God’s character.

Trusting in God’s Character

We not only believe that God is large and in charge, but we believe that He’s good.

In Genesis, when God begins the work of creation, he finishes off his whatever he’s creating and he says plainly, “It is good” and then when he created man, he said that man was very good.

Good can only come from good. God is the ultimate source of good, James 1:17 even says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” (James 1:17, NIV)

Psalm 34:8 tells us “Taste and see that the Lord is good.” The Bible is filled with invitation after invitation to see God, but there is something that stands out to me in Psalm 34:8. David is telling us that if taste God, if you even get just a little sample, you will find Him to be good. That’s a guarantee.

I think the word “taste” is really interesting in this context because when we think about our tastes, not everyone likes the same thing, but David is saying that it doesn’t matter your “tastes” are, it doesn’t what you like or don’t like, if you really seek God, and if you really pursue Him in His Word with the love and support of His Church, then you will find Him, and not will you find Him, but you will find Him to be good.

Those are the two things that are essential about God, He is good and He is powerful, and that’s what Job acknowledges.

When his wife tells him, “Curse God and die,” Job doesn’t take the easy way out by shaking his fist at God, he asks her a very deliberate question in chapter 2, verse 10 that I want to ask you, “Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?”

In this verse, Job acknowledges that both come from God.

Commentators and “scholars” can try to weasel their way around this passage all they want to, but Job very plainly says that when God holds out His hand toward you, you had better take what’s in it whether it’s good or whether it’s adversity.

The old King James Version renders it this way, “What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10, KJV)

Regardless of whether the thing that God hands you looks good or whether it looks evil, God is always going to use it for good.

Now, we read the book of Job and we know the ending, he got his stuff back and we think that’s the good that God was working all along, and that’s part of it, but if you think the end of Job is about Job getting his stuff back then you have a very materialistic superficial view of Scripture.

Even if Job hadn’t got his stuff back even if he was still sick, and even if he was poor and destitute, there still would’ve been good in Job’s life that God worked. And that is in Job 38 and 39 when God speaks to Job, reminds him about all of His inner workings in the universe, and then Job finally realizes that the world is bigger than himself, and he repents.

The book of Job could’ve ended at that point, and God would’ve still been good. Do you know why? Because you can’t measure God’s goodness in your life by how well you’re doing.

And when I say, “You can’t do that” I mean it in both senses of the word.

You can’t in that you’re not allowed to, and you can’t because it’s impossible. It’s not a fair treatment of God. God is good whether or not your circumstances are. And really, I think that’s good news for us.

God is good even when we’re not. God is good even are circumstances are not. God is good even those around us want to accuse our God of not being good.

In his book “If God is Good…” Randy Alcorn talks about a story that Sinclair Ferguson used to tell.

“In January 1852, a search party found Missionary Allen Gardiner’s lifeless body. He and his companions had shipwrecked on Tierra del Fuego. Their provisions had run out. They starved to death.Gardiner, at one point, felt desperate for water; his pangs of thirst, he wrote, were “almost intolerable.” Far from home and loved ones, he dies alone, isolated, weakened, and physically broken.Isn’t this one of those stories told to raise the problem of evil and suffering? Indeed, if the story ended like this, we would find it tragic beyond description.Despite the wretched conditions of his death, Gardiner wrote out Scripture passages, including Psalm 34:10: “The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they that seek the LORD shall not want any good thing” (KJV). Near death, his handwriting feeble, Gardiner managed to write one final entry into his journal: “I am overwhelmed with a sense of goodness of God.” [page 175]

That’s what I want for us. In our deepest moments of turmoil and affliction, I want us to be able, with confidence, to say that we are overwhelmed with a sense of God’s goodness.

I’m going to pray for us, and we’re going to sing one more hymn.

Closing Prayer

Heavenly Father, remind us that when we suffer we do not suffer alone. You are there with us, and You love us. We are not alone, and we thank you for that. Lord, send us Your Spirit to apply the word that we’ve been given. In the name of your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Prayer of Illumination:

Almighty and Everlasting God, we are tired. We are worn down by the cares of this world, but Lord, you have told us to cast all of our cares on You because You care for us. Lord, we ask that you relieve us these cares so that we can faithfully carry your yoke. Your yoke is easy and Your burden is light. This morning, we ask that You would open up Your word to us so that it would set us free from the bondage of the world, and that we can live freely in the world that You’ve made for us. In the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

Introduction:

What do you think of when you think of worldliness? Do you think of wild parties? Do you think of debauchery? Do you think of rock music? What do you think worldliness really is?

Are you really safe from it just because you distance yourself from those things?

Years ago, in some churches, mostly Baptist and Pentecostal churches, when you became a member you had to commit to not dancing. You had to commit to not smoking, and in some congregations you also had to commit to not playing cards and using dice.

The problem is as long as we limit worldliness to what “those people” do “out there” then we’ll never stop and examine the worldliness that we’re actually harboring in our own hearts.

We’re not safe from worldliness just because we live out in the middle of nowhere where there’s more cows than people per capita.

Worldliness is more than what goes on “out there.” It’s bigger than that. It’s also what goes on, and I think as we examine the passage you’ll see what I mean.

Mixing Up Our Worlds (v. 15)

First of all, look at verse 15.

“Do not love the world or the things in the world. The love of the Father is not in those who love the world” – 1 John 2:15, NRSV

Now think about John 3:16.

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.” – John 3:16, NRSV

How can God love the world and then tell us not to love the world? What’s going on? It’s the same Greek word – ‘cosmos.’ John isn’t changing the word, so what’s the deal?

The deal is the usage for ‘world’ in John 3:16 is different than the usage for ‘world’ in the 1 John 2:15.

The Human Race, at large in need of redemption. (John 3:16)We are called to love the same people that God loves. If God loves the world in this sense, then we should also love the world. It’s our mission field. It’s the place where God has planted us. The world has God’s fingerprints all over it because every single person is made in the image of God including the people that we wish weren’t.

If we can’t use our power to get people to do, to act, and think like we do, then we feel like we have to do something about it. And if we can’t do something about it then we just give up and assume that we’re better than they are. Of course, we never say that out loud because that’s not polite so instead of saying it out loud we just act like we’re better. Why? Because it makes us feel good. That’s the lust of the flesh. Anything that feeds our ego. Pagan Society that is opposed to Christ’s Lordship. (1 John 5:19)
Jesus is reigning now. His reign isn’t something we have to wait for. 1 Corinthians 15:25-26 says that Christ must reign until He puts all enemies under His feet, and the enemy to be destroyed is death. Christ is the one with all power, and all the Lordship, but the problem is that the world doesn’t recognize it because the world is held under the captivity of who John calls the evil one.

“We know that we are God’s children, and that the whole world lies under the power of the evil one.” – 1 John 5:19, NRSV
Call him Satan, call him Old Scratch, call him the philosophical embodiment of evil, it doesn’t matter, it’s all the same. As long as the world ignores what is true about Jesus, namely that He is Lord whether they like it or not, then they’ll always be blind and they are responsible for their blindness.

James Montgomery Boice writes that John’s use of ‘kosmos’ in this section is in its ethical sense: “The idea here is of the world of men in rebellion against God and therefore characterized by all that is in opposition to God. This is what we might call “the world system.” It involves the world’s values, pleasures, pastimes, and aspirations. John says of this world that the world lies in the grip of the evil one (1Jn 5:19), that it rejected Jesus when He came (Jn 1:10), that it does not know Him (1Jn 3:1), and consequently that it does not know and therefore also hates His followers (John 15:18,19, 20, 21; 17:14). It is in this sense that John speaks of the world in the passage before us.”

Our problem is that we mix up our worlds. We tend to hate the John 3:16 world while loving the 1 John 5:19 world. We end up doing that falling into the temptations that John mentions and then when others don’t agree or share the same affections that we do, we hate them.

If you don’t think you do this then just discuss politics with someone you disagree with. You quickly forget that the person you disagree with is made in the image of God.

It’s true that you don’t have to agree with someone to love them, but if we’re all honest then I think sometimes we tend to have a little less respect for people who aren’t like us, and I think that’s a symptom of mixing up our worlds.
We end up loving the 1 John 5:19 world, and hating the John 3:16 world because we get just as enraged or triggered as everybody else except in the opposite direction about opposite thing realizing that there’s ditches on both sides to avoid, and a whole world of people who need the hope that is within us regardless of what ditch they’re in.

I think the Apostle John speaks about the things that keep us from loving the John 3:16 world.

Temptations of the World (v. 16)

Notice verse 16. I’m actually going to look at this verse from the King James so some of the wording may be more familiar to those of us who grew up under that translation.

“For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.” – 1 John 2:16, KJV

John gives us three things to look out for and he says that everything in the world, everything that is contained in a society that rebels against the rule and reign of Christ can be summed up in these three categories. And I’m actually going to start with the second of the three categories because I think this is where the downward spiral begins.

The Lust of the Eyes – Attractions
What looks good.

Everything looks good when you’re on a diet. I know this because Brittany has decided to start a diet which means I’m also going on a diet. I’m told that I’ve chosen to go on this diet of my own free will and volition. I would appreciate your prayers during this trying time in my life.

In August of 1986, Reader’s Digest published this little story: “A man was on a diet and struggling. He had to go downtown and as he started out, he remembered that his route would take him by the doughnut shop. As he got closer, he thought that a cup of coffee would hit the spot. Then he remembered his diet.

That’s when he prayed, “Lord, if You want me to stop for a doughnut and coffee, let there be a parking place in front of the shop.” He said, “Sure enough, I found a parking place right in front—on my seventh time around the block!” As Robert Orben said, “Most people want to be delivered from temptation but would like it to keep in touch”

Whenever you’re tempted, you’re always tempted by something that looks good at the moment. Think about compared this passage in James.

“Blessed is anyone who endures temptation. Such a one has stood the test and will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him. 13No one, when tempted, should say, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil and he himself tempts no one. 14But one is tempted by one’s own desire, being lured and enticed by it; 15then, when that desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin, and that sin, when it is fully grown, gives birth to death.” – James 1:12-15, NRSVSin always starts with desire, then desire leads to disobedience, and disobedience leads to death. That’s what James 1 says. It always begins with what we think looks good.

We always think about lust in terms of being something purely sexual, but sometimes there are things in life that we think look good that have nothing to do with sexuality, but they always have a trap door underneath them. There’s always bad ideas that disguise themselves as good ideas.

The Lust of the Flesh – AppetitesWhat feels good.

If lust isn’t always sexual, then this idea of lust of the flesh isn’t always physical.

Good Example: On 64, the speed limit is 60 so that means I usually drive between 65 and 70. However, sometimes I’m behind someone who insists on going 20 below the speed limit. It would probably make me feel good to give them a tap on their back bumper just to give them a little encouragement, but I know as soon as I do, they may want to check their breaks, and then that would create more harm than good.

Sometimes there are things in life that we think will make us feel better, but in end they do damage to us.

But those are the things we crave, right? That’s what our appetite wants. Our appetite is to feed our ego. Nothing feeds our ego more than power. We want to have power.

If we can’t use our power to get people to do, to act, and think like we do, then we feel like we have to do something about it. And if we can’t do something about it then we just give up and assume that we’re better than they are. Of course, we never say that out loud because that’s not polite so instead of saying it out loud we just act like we’re better. Why? Because it makes us feel good. That’s the lust of the flesh. Anything that feeds our ego.

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”
– Romans 12:3, NRSV

The Pride of Life – AmbitionsYou hear me mention this a lot so I won’t spend a lot of time on it, but I think the American Dream is deceptive. I actually don’t think it’s a dream at all. It’s nightmare.

Because what happens is that you start out working to make a living for you and your family which is good and honorable, but then when you realize that you’ve got a nice house, multiple cars in the driveway, and a whole bunch of other amenities you keep working even though it takes you away from your family, away from your community, away from the things that are really important because you want to keep up with the Jones’.

The Pride of Life is that we have to have more, more, and more, and then when you have enough it’s never really enough.

And I don’t think it matters where you are in society, I think at some point you have to ask yourself, “Is there anything in my life that I’m working to keep that I don’t need?” It doesn’t even have to be material things either. What’s the baggage that you’re hanging on to? What’s the biggest source of pride in your life?

Pride is the killer of Christian joy. Joy is all about our sense of security within our salvation, but pride is about what we’ve done, what we’ve accomplished. But in salvation, Paul says that there’s no room for boasting. You are saved by grace, not of yourselves, lest any man should boast. (Ephesians 2) If you want to separate yourself from real joy, from the joy that comes with your salvation, then allow pride to consume you.

Alternatives to the World – Doing the Will of God (v. 17)

Finally, notice verse 17 in our passage of 1 John 2. John gives us an alternative to the ways of the world.

If you’re following along in your bulletin outline the last point should say, “Alternatives to the World,” not “of the world.”

“And the world and its desire are passing away, but those who do the will of God live forever.” – 1 John 2:17, NRSV

There was a Christian comedian back in the 80’s who turned out to be a fraud, but he used to say something I thought was clever, he would say, “Pagans tell me all the time that Christianity is just a religion of do’s and don’t’s and I always tell them, ‘yeah, but if you spend your time doing the do’s, you won’t have time to do the don’t’s that you don’t need to do in the first place.’”

I think that’s good practical advice, but like everything else, you have to see it in context.

John tells us that those who do the will of God abide forever. Think about our passage this morning, 1 John 2:15-17, as a tall building. Well, like any good structure, it’s got to have a foundation.

By telling us to do the will of God, John tells us to aim high. Go to the very top of this building, but we can’t get to the top without starting the ground floor. The groundfloor of the building that John has given us is found right behind these verses in 1 John 2:12-14.

“I am writing to you, little children, because your sins are forgiven on account of his name.13I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young people, because you have conquered the evil one.14I write to you, children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.” – 1 John 2:12-14, NRSVThis is what your foundation is made of.

You can do the will of God because your sins are forgiven, and because your sins are forgiven you know God as your Father, and because you know God as your Father, Satan is a defeated enemy.

So, what’s John talking about when he’s talking about doing the will of God? He never specifically says what it is, but if you read the entirety of chapter 2, then I think you can conclude that “doing the will of God” comes down to three things:

Having your sins forgiven

“My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; 2and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”– 1 John 2:1-2, NRSV

Loving one another

“Whoever loves a brother or sister lives in the light, and in such a person there is no cause for stumbling. 11But whoever hates another believer is in the darkness, walks in the darkness, and does not know the way to go, because the darkness has brought on blindness.”– 1 John 2:10-11, NRSV

Doing what is right.

“If you know that he is righteous, you may be sure that everyone who does right has been born of him.” – 1 John 2:29, NRSV

You may hear that and think, “Well, that’s really broad, he’s not giving us enough information.” Actually, that’s the point. John is giving you all the information you need.

This is good news because this means that Christianity isn’t as complicated as we want to make it out to be. We don’t have to go on some crusade. We don’t have to legislate people’s behavior. We just have to our sins forgiven, love God, love each other, and do what is right, and then let God do the rest.

And you know what the best part is. That first one has already been done for us. Remember what John says, “Your sins are forgiven.”

Conclusion

If your sins are forgiven, then you have citizenship in a kingdom that is not of this world which means that the cares of this world do not belong to you. They are not yours to deal with. So, this morning if you feel weighed down, if you feel like you’ve spent too long worrying about things that don’t belong to you, if you feel like you would like to love Jesus more, then talk to Him this morning.